**

II.

Beach ... Sand ... Dogs run loose

Josh was getting sick and tired of sitting around his home, on his b-day by now. He had talked to almost all of his entire family on the house phone, by three thirty in the afternoon. His dog, Max, was lying right now next to his master on the sofa, with him. Head put slightly onto his thigh, and eyes half closed. While JC switched through the channels, with the remote in his left hand, of his flat screen TV, right across on the wall. He patted Max's head behind his ears, absentmindedly, with his right one. And sighed only. He switched the TV just off.

"Looks, like it's your turn now to entertain me, Maxi!" he talked to the dog, lying sleepyhead next to him, while JC still was patting its head and crawling him behind its ears. "Wanna go for a walk now? Max?" Josh had stopped scratching the dog's ears now, and shifted his body slightly away. To be able to get up from the couch and just runs upstairs getting his cell phone and grabs his keys from the little commode and his jeans jacket and Max's leash from the wardrobe.

By the time, Josh took the leash from its hook, next to the front doors. Max came waggling its tail around the corner of the living room. Clearly he already had heard the clinking of the metal chains and tax mark clipped to it. JC put the collar without the leash first around Max's neck, and opened the front door, next. Max was out at once, and already found the perfect spot against one of the side trees by the fences, to pee on also. Josh saw that he left his car in the driveway, last night. And had an idea. He wouldn't drive it back into his garage before leaving with Max. No, he instead would load Max into the car, in the backseats and then drive with through town, to a part on Santa Monica beach, where dogs were allowed. And Max also could run around in the dunes.

~*~

Around five thirty, in the afternoon on the eighth of August. Melanie and the other people on her flight landed safely in Los Angeles, she hurried to get her things together and into her backpack, so she could get out of the plane with everyone else. She decided to get to her hotel first, to unload her luggage. And get a little bit freshen up, before she would explore the nearest beach next. Which happens to be the Santa Monica and Venice beach, closest to the hotel Camille was staying in, that was the Wilshire Motel, on Wilshire Blvd. Which had, according to her travel book she did pack also, a pool and reasonable prices per night at the hotel. Before she would have to check out how to get to the address and her interview, by the evening, even.

~*~

After Josh and Max took a slight detour around the straight route to Santa Monica State beach, and arrived at about five in the afternoon, at their designated spot where Max could run without a leash. Josh would park the car in a wood surrounded parking lot, next. As he turned the engine off and stepped out himself. He opened the passenger's door behind the driver's one, and Max jumps out next. Running off to sniff around the grass and woods that surrounds the parking lot. While Josh shut the doors to the car, and locked it up. He starts walking towards the dunes, where he knew would be a small passage down to the beach, as well.

~*~

As Mel walks along the beach, she actual walks away from all the tourist attractions, further up north. And towards a more quieter part of the beach, or which seemed to be less crowded with people even. After she walked along the shoreline, for quite awhile now. She got a little tired in her feet just, and made her way shortly up the beach, to sit in the sand for a little bit. She was watching the waves of the sea coming in and out of the Pacific Ocean. And couldn't really believe it yet, that she actually was right here, right now!

~*~

Joshua would call after Max, when he is running ahead of him too far. And a little while after Max did come running back to its master, with a big log that he'd carry inside his mouth. But as Josh noticed as Max slowly would come closer, dragging the log with him, slightly. The log seemed more like a branch and far too big for his head and mouth though, even. JC tries to break the branch in half, as Max did lay it to his feet. But the branch was slightly too thick, to be broken this easily. So, Joshua looked around himself next, to see if he could find another, smaller stick. While Max was watching his "doggie-daddy" all the while, in great anticipation, since he dropped the log to Josh's feet! JC would run around with his dog, for awhile along the shoreline, next. And when Max did find a smaller stick, to play some "fetch", he would throw the stick sometimes just ahead of them, and watch Max run after it and bring it back even a couple of times, as well. Or JC would just let it drop behind his own back, after pretending to throw the stick first, and let Max figure out where it went to, on its own. Surprisingly, JC couldn't fool his dog good enough with his acting skills though. As the dog almost instantly saw the stick fall behind Josh's back. Max fetched it, and would run far along the shoreline away, next. And when his master was about to catch up with Max, the dog would just shake him off and run up towards the beach, through the sand.

Meanwhile, Mel was watching the man playing with his dog by the near of the water. She thought for a second that he might look slightly familiar, but dismisses that one already at once, as being ridiculous. Melanie just watches the man, for a while chasing after his dog's tail when this one would run off with a stick in its mouth, even. A smile stretches over her face, slightly. The two seemed to spend a lot of time with each other, and they looked too cute together, as well. They seem very happy and cheerful!

Suddenly, she saw the dog only once turning its head back, while at the same time running towards her still sitting in the sand. It almost would have run into her, when she wouldn't have slightly moved out of the way. And the dog would not have turned around itself, in the very last second, also. JC saw his dog rise up a lot of sand by swerving out of the way, before running into the young woman who was just sitting there, a few meters away, watching. He saw her brushing off the sand that Max did rise up, and was covering her legs with it then. He walked over to her, and came to a halt a couple feet before her, and could grab his dog by its collar next.

"I'm sorry!" he told her, sincerely. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

Millie was still brushing over her jeans, to remove a few of the sand grains. And looked slowly up into the man's face before her.

OH, MEIN ... !

She thought at first, only by staring at the man. She swallowed lightly, and holds her lips tightly together just. It couldn't be, could it? She knew those eyes now, from somewhere. These eyebrows, cheek bones and even that nose. That slightly chubby looking nose, even! The man only watched her slightly embarrassed, and with his shy, crocked smile, even.

He saw the look she gave him, after all. She knew who he was. He sighed, a little heavenly just. Then clicked the hook from the leash in his hand onto Max's collar and closed further in on the distance he left before, reaching out his right hand towards her next. Bending himself down, also a little.

"Hey! I'm JC!" he said, using his two initials just out of habit, he guessed and with an even bigger smile, that also touched his eyes a little. "And I'm really sorry, about him! He usually listens to me when he is running without a leash." Josh's head did jerk in the direction of where Max did lay down, chewing on the stick, happily now. Mel shook his hand, with the same firm one she got to use on everybody new she was introduced to. And responded, with a glance and a soft smile towards the dog.

"It's alright. Really! It's just a little bid of sand.", and she laughs a little at her own response, as well. "I'm Melanie Deißfuss. Or just Mel. But I think, I do know you, now."

Josh was impressed. Not just by her firm and calm handshake, but the look she gives him at this moment also. He lets her hand go, slowly. His eyes, however, never leaving hers. And JC just sits cross-legged before her, then. Making Max lie down beside him, too. He was not quite sure what to think of this woman though, yet. But there was something about her, that wouldn't let him just walk away without knowing her. Hell, he couldn't even bring himself to look away from those eyes of hers! He asked her why she would sit here all alone, and if she was alright even. And learned that she was in L.A. for only the weekend, that she was from Europe, Germany, even. And a freelance journalist, for some German newspaper also. On second listening of her saying, he heard the slight, harsh pronunciation due her over seas accent.

"I'm sorry!" she said suddenly, and she could feel her cheeks turning slightly hot even. "But I just have to wish you a happy birthday now! I mean if I already get that chance to tell you in person, you know?" She saw his lips twitch into his bright teeth-showing smile, then. That makes his corners of his eyes show the few age lines clearly, as well. But his eyes still showed that spark from his earlier days also. Mel saw him pull his chin slightly up, and putting his head in his neck, therefore. A clear chuckle escaping through his throat.

"Ha ha!" he laughed and would cover his face with his hands, only for a second. "That's sweet! Thank you!"

And Melanie also closed her eyes, in embarrassment, after she realized what she just said.

"So? I take it, that you're a fan, then?" JC asked her blunt at once. And Mel felt her face turn hotter this time, too. She swallows a lump down her throat just.

"Oy! You make it sound so bad now!" Melanie replied, turning her face away from his. "I'm not really just your fan, as you put it. Well. I am *NSYNC's fan, in general! I like all five of you. At least when you're together as one!"

JC chuckles another lighthearted giggle, to this. "That's cool!" he just replied.

"Oy!" she said, pulling her hands up, to hide her pink cheeks now. "I wish I didn't just say that! It's awkward and totally embarrassing now! And not even true, as I also enjoy all of you guys's solo project, you've been doing, too."

"You don't have to be embarrassed, at all. You're just honest and sweet as I haven't met anyone in a long time."

JC just reached towards her hands, then. And takes them gently away from her face, just watching her intently. Mel felt her face still feeling hot by this completely, while his piercingly blue and grey eyes are just staring into her dark ones. She let her eyes drop down a bit, to escape his look for a while. And saw that his hands are still enclosed around her own ones, and feels a slight insecureness rise up in her body just. As far as she noticed next, he let her hands go very slowly, then.

"Sorry!" he said only. And Melanie saw him take back the leash in his hand and looking at her face, like being hypnotized by those eyes or something like it, pursing his lips slightly. She looked towards the dog lying next to his master, then. Watching now interested? But couldn't see really why.

"Maxi?" JC said out towards his furry friend just. And raises his head and upper body a little higher, looking around himself. Before looking at the dog again. "You want to leave, boy?" Then just a quick glance towards his I-Phone, he pulled from his pant's pocket, even quicker. "Sorry! I have to go now. Look. Will you do me the honor and go out with me tonight? Maybe?"

Melanie looked confused at him just. Was he really asking to see her again, just? She couldn't believe it, really. And just blinks at him a couple times, in response. Before she saw JC just stand up, with a slight bow, and about to turn to leave her. Feeling crushed, at her none respone, even?

"Sure, I would love to!" she heard herself just say though. "But actually, I already got plans for tonight. I'm afraid."

"Oh. Alright." JC only said, "I understand. Don't worry about it."

He said to her, but did he sound disappointed to her, a little bit. Maybe? But then Lee just saw him smile and walk away. His dog beside him, all the while.